this man was sent by God to teach...

***Evaluation of RUSSIAN 25W***

Professor Heim is legit. He's a great lecturer and I found myself looking forward to his class every week. This class is A LOT of work--definitely waaay more work for your Writing II credit than my cluster (Global Environment). As an English major, the writing requirements were no big deal, but I know a lot of south campus majors who struggled. Yes, the reading list is daunting, but no, there is no need to actually read everything. I read 300 pages of War and Peace and got my highest essay score on the War and Peace essay, so go figure. You can get by without reading everything ONLY if you go to every lecture and discussion, however. And with a professor like Heim, why wouldn't you?

Final Grade: A

I love Professor Heim! He's such a cute 'ol Professor with his overstuffed, tattered backpack and slouched back. I wasn't really interested in Russian history, but he makes his lectures really interesting. He's a really great lecturer and tells the history of the Soviet Union like he's telling the class a story. In terms of grading, it's pretty easy--two papers, midterm and final. The papers are fairly easy and the midterm and final are just short answer questions and essays. I'd definitely recommend this class.

Excellent Professor, great readings, perfect mix of close reading and larger concepts within his lectures and overall imbues the class with a passion for literature and culture in general

I took Russian 25W with Professor Heim and really enjoyed it. The lectures were really interesting and I looked forward to them every time. Professor Heim really is passionate about this class and he gets you excited about it too. He really opens you up to the world of Russian literature and just literature in general. He is a fantastic lecturer, and gives a very comprehensive view of the novels which allows you to understand all the aspects of the novels. Whenever I went to office hours, he was always very welcoming and willing to discuss any questions or ideas about not just the course, but Russian history, literature or Russia in general. He is also very willing to help with essay writing.

As for workload, there is a lot of reading and writing (Yes you are supposed to read War and Peace). There are 4 essays in total on the books you're supposed to read. You get to rewrite each essay. The essay grades are reasonable, and you are bound to improve your grade when you do the rewrite (he takes the average of both grades). Also, it's good to go talk to the TAs after you get your first draft back because they will give you the advice you need to do a better rewrite.

The midterm and final are the same format, with ID passages and essays. You even get to rewrite the midterm. I did all of the reading, didn't finish War and Peace and still did fine in the course. As long as you take notes and pay attention to the passages he analyzes from the books and how he analyzes them, you will do fine in the midterm and final.

Professor Heim is a kind and knowledgeable professor. His love for his work and students really teaches students how to appreciate literature and see the world in a new way. He really is amazing to listen and talk to. I really recommend taking a class with him during your time at UCLA.